Alzheimer's Disease Archive

It's hard to accurately predict when new viral outbreaks will appear or old viruses will reappear and how to figure this out quickly enough to respond quickly. Wastewater testing, a tool that can help predict upticks in COVID cases, has also captured evidence of infectious diseases like polio, allowing preventive measures to be taken.

People taking antidepressants may have many reasons for wanting to discontinue the drug. They may feel they no longer need the medication or decide they cannot tolerate side effects. A doctor should guide the process of tapering off antidepressants. The chance of depression recurrence is higher for people who take antidepressants long-term and stop abruptly. Withdrawal symptoms can make the tapering process uncomfortable, but it's generally not dangerous.

Most people with obstructive sleep apnea don't know they have it. An at-home or in-lab sleep study can reveal the condition, which hinders breathing while asleep. A doctor can determine which type of test is best for each patient.

Studies have shown that doing any one of certain activities, such as staying physically active and maintaining social ties, helps maintain brain health in older adults. A new study suggests that participating in multiple kinds of these activities, several times a week, may help even more.

Teeth-grinding during sleep is common. People with the habit may wake up with sore teeth, headache, or earache. Over time, it can lead to broken teeth or jaw pain and clicking. A dentist can create a fitted mouth guard or prescribe muscle relaxants.

A recent analysis found a link between vision loss and higher risk of dementia. The results suggest improving visual acuity, such as with eyeglasses or cataract removal, might help maintain cognitive fitness in older adults.

Science has shown that when people multitask, they become more easily distracted and less productive, score lower on tests for recalling information, and make more errors. Older adults especially struggle with multitasking because aging brains have more trouble blocking distractions. The solution is to monotask by focusing on only one job until it's completed. Methods for monotasking include prioritizing tasks, blocking distractions, and working in intervals.

A study published online April 13, 2022, by The BMJ found that those age 65 or older who regularly practiced numerous healthy lifestyle habits lived longer and had fewer years with dementia than those who practiced one or no healthy lifestyle factors.

In May 2022, the FDA approved a blood test to help diagnose Alzheimer's disease. The test looks for amyloid-beta protein, a marker of Alzheimer's. The blood test is quite accurate, compared with positron emission tomography (PET) brain scans, which are more expensive and complicated. More blood tests, including some that look for tau protein (another marker of Alzheimer's), also are under development. Other tests used to diagnose Alzheimer's include computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and a spinal tap.

Heart failure symptoms, such as being tired or out of breath, gaining weight, or having swollen ankles, can be overlooked and attributed to other causes. As a result, heart failure is not usually diagnosed until months or years later, when a person is hospitalized for it. By that point, the risk for dying from heart failure has already risen significantly, sometimes higher than the risk of death from cancer. Someone who has potential heart failure symptoms should talk to a doctor, especially if symptoms are new and if the person has diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity, or an unhealthy lifestyle.